Petition to save desperate status of Hindu temples in Andhra Pradesh

[Guest guest]

Dear everyone:

 

Below is a petition to save desperate status of Hindu Temples in Andhra

Pradesh, India. Some say at current rate Hindu temples in Andhra Pradesh

will be completely crippled economically that will lead to a situation where

following Hindu religion will be untenable. The petition provides all the

details. We request every member to forward to as many people (or media

persons) as possible. Let me know if you need further information.

 

Best regards,

Hitaya

=======================================================================================

 

*Please sign petition for desperate Status of Hindu Temples in Andhra

Pradesh, India*

 

 

 

The Hindu religion and its supporting infrastructure (temple lands, mutts,

foundations and Ashrams) that preserve and promote our treasure religion are

being unfairly targeted by the current political environment in India. The

result is Hindu temple lands and properties are being sold and a substantial

amount of resources are being used for purposes other than Hindu temple

activities, including the funding of non-Hindu (Muslim and Christian)

projects and activities. Encroachment of the temple lands, mutts,

foundations and Ashrams is encouraged by the current political environment

and are being taken over. Non‑Hindus have been given major positions at

Tirupathi and other temples. All of these activities are wide spread and

will ultimately drive Hinduism out of India if not worse. It looks as

though the Christian Chief Minister Y. Samuel Rajasekhar Reddy of Andhra

Pradesh has little regard to Hindu institutions.

 

 

 

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act which originally had its

merit is one main issue causing this situation. Through this Endowment

Act *only

Hindu Temples* are taken over by the government which allowed complete

control over the temples. All appointments, property, finances, renovations,

pujas etc. are monitored and controlled. Mosques and churches are free from

government control and are not included in the Endowment Act.

 

 

 

Through the Endowment Act the state governments quickly utilizing their

control for personal and political gain. Below are some hard facts of the

injustices being executed by state government? None, even the Tirumala

Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) is being spared. Here are synopses of the

kind of events that are taking place.

 

 

 

1) In 2006, government attempted to take over 5 out of 7 Tirumala Hills

of 650 year old Tirumala temple for Church and Tourism purposes.

 

 

 

2) In March 2006, government demolished the 1000 pillar mantapam at

Tirumala.

 

 

 

 

 

3) The charge that 85% percent of revenues from TTD be transferred to

state exchequer was not denied by the state government.

 

 

 

 

 

4) On January 21, 2007, Chief Minister announced the sponsorship of

Hockey Tournment on his parents name by using TTD money.

 

 

 

5) TTD has to contribute Rs. 2.2 crores annually to common good fund.

 

 

 

6) JRG Wealth Management Limited, a Christian organization, was given

the contract to procure "Prasadam" materials for TTD.

 

 

 

7) All the Hindu temples must contribute 15% of the income per year to

the Endowment Department. Of all the funds collected over the past few

decades except in the year 1995-96, only a partial amount of money collected

for this purpose was used for the maintenance of the Temples. This money is

used for running the 70,000 strong State endowment board.

 

 

 

8) There are 420,028 acres owned by Temples in Vishakhapatnam, Kakinada,

Guntur, Kurnool, Warangal and Hyderabad. Of that amount, 60,843 acres were

allowed to be occupied illegally. Currently, 2,349 acres are in litigation.

Most of these lands were occupied by the professional land grabbers, not

by the poor dalits. One of the responsibilities under the Endowment act is

to prevent such actions. With a staff of over 70,000 there seems to a lack

of initiative to take real steps to prevent these actions.

 

 

 

9) In August 2005, state government has decided to sell 100,000 acres of

Sri Narasimha Swamy Temple in Simhachalam and other nearby Temples.

 

 

 

10)On March 14, 2006, government auctioned 3,000 acres of Temple lands in

East Godavari District.

 

 

 

11)Temples with more than Rs. 50,000 income have to contribute three percent

to common good fund.

 

 

 

12)On November 23, 2005, the government decided to take complete control of

Hindu mutts such as Hathiramji of Tirupati, Raghavendra Swamy mutt in

Mantralayam, Byragi mutt of West Godavri District, Gavi mutt in Ananthapur

and others whose assets are worth crores of rupees.

 

 

 

On the contrary, Government is treating Christian and Muslim minority

religious establishments totally differently.

 

 

 

1) The government allocates *Rs 1.1* crore to *Churches* for their

repairs and renovations.

 

2) The government allocates *Rs. 6.5* crores to the *Mosques* for their

repairs and renovations

 

 

 

3) On August 22, 2006 the State government announced GO 21

 

· This allocated Rs. 80,000 for each church for it's repairs and

renovations

 

· Rs. 1.5 crores for constructing a new church.

 

 

 

It is not publicly disclosed how many churches benefits and ultimately no

public way of understanding how many crores were are set aside for this

purpose.

 

 

 

4) On December 18, 2006, the state government announced that it is

considering giving subsidy for Christians to travel to Bethlehem

 

 

 

 

 

These are only few examples of the state government's effort to undermine

the existence and integrity of the Hindu Temples in Andhra Pradesh while

giving preferential treatment to the other religions. Hindu Religious and

Charitable Endowment Act is the one that allows the state government to have

total control over the Temple lands and revenues. It is high time that all

the Hindus take a stand to repeal the Endowment Act to make Hindu temple

independent of government control and gain the same privileges and rights

other religious organizations are enjoying.

 

 

 

Recently we formed a Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) to protect,

preserve, promote, and maintain Hindu culture, Hindu temples, mutts,

peethams, endowments, Trusts and other institutions globally. To achieve

this objective, GHHF will take the necessary and appropriate non-violent

actions against all laws, policies, activities undertaken by any government,

individuals and/or any organizations that adversely affect the Hindu

religion, Hindu Temples and other Hindu institutions.

 

 

 

The ultimate goal is to ensure all the Hindu Temples and other Hindu

institutions become independent of state government control. GHHF is

currently taking steps to challenge the Endowment Act in the High Court and

Supreme Court. To this end, GHHF established an organization in the name of

Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti in Hyderabad on December 8, 2006. We

successfully got stay order for Temple land auctioning in May 2006 and for

GO 21 this month.

 

 

 

The online petition can be signed at

http://www.petitiononline.com/qa23124/petition.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you need any further information on this matter or any

*documentation*for the above cited examples, we will be happy to

provide. Please contact:

 

 

 

V. V. Prakasa Rao

 

Global Hindu Heritage Foundation USA

 

Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti, Hyderabad

 

601-856-4783 H/ 601-918-7111

 

E-mail: dharmasanatana

 

 

 

Submitted by Satya

[Guest guest]

advaitin, hitaya <hitaya wrote:

>

> Dear everyone:

>

> Below is a petition to save desperate status of Hindu Temples in

Andhra

> Pradesh, India. Some say at current rate Hindu temples in Andhra

Pradesh

> will be completely crippled economically that will lead to a

situation where

> following Hindu religion will be untenable. The petition provides

all the

> details. We request every member to forward to as many people (or

media

> persons) as possible. Let me know if you need further information.

>

> Best regards,

> Hitaya

>

======================================================================

=================

>

> *Please sign petition for desperate Status of Hindu Temples in

Andhra

> Pradesh, India*

 

Namaste,

 

Some of the Gurus in A.P. have several billion dollars US income,

perhaps you should send this post to them..........Tony

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Tony OClery" <aoclery wrote:

>

> advaitin, hitaya <hitaya@> wrote:

> >

> > Dear everyone:

> >

> > Below is a petition to save desperate status of Hindu Temples in

> Andhra

> > Pradesh, India. Some say at current rate Hindu temples in Andhra

> Pradesh

> > will be completely crippled economically that will lead to a

> situation where

> > following Hindu religion will be untenable. The petition provides

> all the

> > details. We request every member to forward to as many people (or

> media

> > persons) as possible. Let me know if you need further information.

> >

> > Best regards,

> > Hitaya

> >

> ======================================================================

> =================

> >

> > *Please sign petition for desperate Status of Hindu Temples in

> Andhra

> > Pradesh, India*

>

> Namaste,

>

> Some of the Gurus in A.P. have several billion dollars US income,

> perhaps you should send this post to them..........>

Dear Tony,

 

The state government is sparing nothing. All the mutts are being

taken under government control.

 

What is happening in India is nothing short of holocaust of Hindu

Culture. Government is systematically taking over and destroying

Hindu temple infrastructure state by state in India.

 

It is nexus of missionaries (see www.crusadewatch.org and

www.christianaggression.org), politicians, vote bank politics

combined with Hindus apathy that is causing this.

 

Regards,

Hitaya

[Guest guest]

Would all members please note that, whilst the occasional post of

information regarding such things is acceptable, subsequent discussion

is not.

 

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